Streaming Music Has Made It All But Impossible For Musicians To Earn Minimum Wage

If you thought music festivals were crazy expensive, just think of how
cash-strapped the talent feels.

When Digital Music News released this foreboding infographic in 2010,
musicians were well aware they faced an uphill battle trying to
get paid. Things have improved since then, but the emergence
of Spotify and similar streaming formats has
made it all but impossible for indie and DIY artists to see much
of a payout. Even major label artists don't get much of a cut
unless they're a superstar (or have a last name that rhymes with
Rihanna).

With help from industry attorney Steve Gordon and a depressing interview with
Chuck D, whose lawyers admitted the rapper barely sees a cent
from his ringtones or downloads, Digital Music News revamped its
graphic to show just what artists have to do to earn a monthly
U.S. minimum wage of $1,160.

Their findings aren't pretty. A solo artist hoping to break even
would need to sell 1,706 MP3 downloads in a month or 2,230 CDs on
a major label. And they'd probably need to press vinyl, which for
all its analog glory still happens to sell rather well among
fans. A self-pressed LP priced at $14.99, for example, could be
the ticket to payday if the artist sold 149 of them.